"Irish Coffee" Cake

------------------------------------CAKE------------------------------------
4 oz Butter, at room temperature
4 oz Granulated sugar
2 Eggs
4 oz Self-raising flour
2 tb Coffee essence**
-----------------------------IRISH COFFEE SYRUP-----------------------------
150 ml Strong black coffee
4 oz Sugar (for coffee syrup)
4 tb Irish whiskey
-----------------------------------ICING-----------------------------------
150 ml Heavy whipping cream
Confectioners'sugar to taste
1 tb Whiskey, or to taste
Chopped nuts*
*Or grated chocolate. **This is a concentrated, liquid coffee easily found
in Ireland, but probably not in the States. I would dissolve 2 T of a good
instant coffee (Taster's Choice or something similar) in an equivalent
amount of water, and use that. -- Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan
(preferably a springform cheesecake pan). Preheat oven to 350F. Cream the
butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, adding a
little flour and beating well after each addition. Stir in the coffee
essence, and mix thoroughly. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan, and
bake for 35-40 minutes until springy to the touch. Turn out and cool on a
wire rack. . To make the Irish coffee syrup, put the coffee and sugar into
a small pan and bring up to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then
boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the whiskey. . Wash and dry the
pan the cake was baked in, and return the cooled cake to it: then pour the
hot coffee syrup all over it. Leave in a cool place for several hours, then
turn out. Whip the cream until it's thick, sweeten slightly with
confectioners' sugar, and add whiskey to taste. Spread the cake with the
whipped cream and chill for an hour before sprinkling with chopped nuts or
grated chocolate.